


speak softly (so no one hears us but the sky)

by somethingvaguetodo



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Friendship, give chat noir all the hugs, let ladybug and chat noir be best friends, post-episode: Syren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 05:36:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14730950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingvaguetodo/pseuds/somethingvaguetodo
Summary: Takes place the night after Syren. Ladybug and Chat Noir have a much needed conversation about trust.





	speak softly (so no one hears us but the sky)

**Author's Note:**

> Had to write something after my thoughts watching Syren. It's short, and sweet. I'm currently working on a long AU about these two lovely idiots. 
> 
> Title from the song "Speak Softly, Love" the theme from The Godfather.
> 
> I don't own anything you recognize.

The sun was already hanging low in the sky by the time Chat Noir touched down on the rooftop where Ladybug was sitting. 

“I think my Mandarin tutor has been murdered,” he announced without much preamble, taking a seat next to her, their legs dangling over the edge side by side. 

Ladybug turned to him, a confused expression on her face. Chat grinned. 

“A small Chinese masseuse came to my house and said he has to replace my old tutor who ‘suddenly became ill,’” he mimed air quotes with his claws. “Sounds exactly like the start of one of those homicide detective shows.” 

Ladybug’s confused face morphed into a smile. She kicked her feet out in front of her and then nudged him with a toe. “Sounds more like a B-list horror movie where you’re the next victim.”

“Don’t worry about me m’lady,” Chat said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “Most people don’t know this, but in my spare time,” he leaned in and whispered the next words into her ear, “I’m a superhero.” He waited for Ladybug to meet his eye before winking. “This guy comes up to here on me,” he raised his hand to his chest. “I could take him.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, chaton,” Ladybug responded, reaching up to flick his bell. “I hear you’re nothing without your partner. Hot little number in a red spotted suit. Ring any bells?”

“You ring all my bells, LB.”

Ladybug smirked at him, but shoved his arm off her shoulders. She turned her body, angling her torso toward him and bringing one leg up to fold underneath her. He immediately mimicked her position. 

“I wanted to say thank you,” he said, his eyes wide and unblinking, his nerves evident in how he wrung his hands together. Ladybug reached out to separate them, intertwining her hand with one of his. 

“For what?”

“Master Fu told me you suggested he talk to me. I don’t know that he would have otherwise. So, thank you.”

She gave his fingers a squeeze. “He didn’t want to tell me anything in the beginning. But my kwami dragged me there against his wishes, that’s the only reason I knew anything.” She turned away from his intense gaze and looked out over the city. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

Ladybug sighed deeply. “Its like I said to you, it wasn’t easy for me either. I…” she trailed off, struggling to find the words. The lights on the Eiffel Tower flickered on, leaving it sparkling in encroaching twilight. “I don’t like keeping secrets from you,” she settled on, her voice small. She kept her eyes off Chat Noir, not eager to see the hurt on his face. 

He tugged at her hand, not speaking until she turned back to look at him. When she met his eyes, she was surprised to see the warmth shining from them. “I don’t like it either, bug,” he said. “But it comes with the territory, I understand that.” She hummed in agreement. “I guess I just thought since there are so many secrets we have to keep, we should share everything we can. Everything that might be important.”

Ladybug groaned and dropped her head to rest in her free hand. “I know!” she moaned. “I should never have listened to Master Fu! I should have just told you everything I found out as soon as possible and -"

“Ladybug,” Chat grabbed her other hand, forcing her to look up at him. “You were just doing what you thought was right.”

“But Master Fu’s not my partner,” Ladybug said miserably, “you are.”

Chat couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. “I was worried you didn’t trust me,” he admitted.

“Chat, no!” Ladybug immediately forgot her own self pity. She squeezed both of his hands, hard. “Please don’t think that. I trust you more than anyone in the entire world. You have to know that.”

His smile turned sheepish. “I know you trust me to fight with, but earlier… with Rena’s identity and you running off with the Lucky Charm, I felt like you wouldn’t trust me with any information. It’s need to know - and I didn’t need to know.”

Ladybug closed her eyes, unable to look at him. She never wanted him to feel this way, but couldn’t help but understand why he did. She wouldn’t like it anymore than he did if the roles were reversed.

“Ask me any question. I promise I’ll answer.”

When she looked up at him, she could see the shock in his face. While they talked all the time, she never put herself out there like this, an open book waiting for him to read. She trusted him not to ask her anything that would put them at risk, and she needed to show him that trust. 

He tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. Ladybug watched him, wondering what he was thinking, wondering how many potential questions he was internally rejecting. 

When he turned back to her, his grin was back. “If you have to trade your miraculous for any of the others, which would you choose?” 

Ladybug couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing. She looked at Chat Noir, his smile warm and genuine, his eyes sparkling, his hands clutching her own. The laughter bubbled up out of her, and she doubled over, tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. Chat began to chuckle, low and full, and it spurred her on even more. He knew she wasn’t laughing at him. Her laughter was a release of tension, a weight lifted off her shoulders. An acceptance that no matter what, they had each other, and nothing would change that. 

“D-dragon,” she choked out when she finally calmed down. “Hands down; I’m choosing the dragon.”

“Nice.”

“Think it would make me breathe fire?”

“You don’t need fire to be hot.” He winked. She giggled. 

“What about you?”

“I also don’t need fire to be hot.” She knocked their hands together and pouted. “Okay, fine, Ladybug miraculous.”

This time she scowled. “What?” he asked, trying and failing to look innocent. “I have mad yo-yo skills and never get to show them off.”

Ladybug raised a skeptical eyebrow but didn’t say anything. 

“Hmmm...” Chat thought about it, tilting his head to the side. Ladybug smiled at how much he looked like a kitten. “Tiger. Keep it in the family but move up a bit on the food chain.”

“Good choice,” Ladybug nodded. “Tigers are sexy.”

Chat growled, the noise low and rumbling from the back of his throat. 

They both laughed, Ladybug steadfastly ignoring the way that her heart beat in double time. 

The silence lingered between them, neither uncomfortable nor expectant. Chat swung their joined hands, first knocking them together and then going out wide. Ladybug turned her head and looked over Paris, the lights fully sparkling in the deepening blue sky. Her parents might look for her soon. 

She regretted having to break the light mood, but there was something she needed to say. “If you want to know Rena’s identity, I’ll ask her what she thinks. I only know because I have to give her the miraculous but you shouldn’t feel left out -“

“It’s not about knowing her identity. I don’t want to put her at risk in that way. With her I just wondered…” He trailed off, not finishing the thought. 

Ladybug nudged him. “What?”

“If she would know your identity in exchange.”

Ladybug stood up, dragging him along with her. She dropped his hands only to pull him in for a hug. “When it comes time for that,” she spoke into his chest, “you will be the first to know. You deserve that much. We deserve that much.” Chat Noir wound his arms around her and held on tight. They stood together until darkness completely fell, and the lights of their city burned bright around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Can these two ever just be silly teenagers who are best friends and just happen to save the world?? Let them have fun with each other!!!! Come scream with me about these two fools on tumblr somethingvaguetodo.tumblr.com


End file.
